Workplace

• This year, I have been a proactive and hard working team member. I have aimed to complete more than was asked of me and supersede expectations. I have been communicative and considerate, to help foster an environment of learning and growth for others as well. In the beginning of the year, I was nervous to speak up in meetings, but quickly learned that my contributions were helpful and my input was necessary for my success as a member of the team. Moreover, as my role has grown to increase interaction with study partcipants, I have become more vocal about how we can best communicate with members of the general public, as well as ways that I may improve to best serve my team.

• My contributions allowed for routine tasks, like communicating with participants and families and maintaining the laboratory's social media, to be completed. Moreover, I assisted in the development and continuation of projects under multiple research grants, through data analysis and collection, completing documents for Institutional Review Boards, and completion of trainings for multiple study measures. These efforts and ensured that the team was successful and that efforts were coordinated. For example, I analyzed data for a longitudinal study in which follow up screenings are still be conducted. I then presented these results at the IU Undergratuate Research Conference, which allowed me to display the impact our work has for the general public. Moreover, this data was then used to make connections to other assessments within the project, providing a broader scope of understanding for the team.

Learning and Growth

• Since the beginning of this internship, I have become a much stronger communicator, making me a more effective team member. Through collaboration during laboratory meetings or joint work time, I feel that my ability to effectively communicate, and listen, has grown. I plan to continue to build my communication skills as I continue my role in the Crum laboratory over the summer and the following academic year. Additionally, my time management skills have grown exponentially. Managing the demands of research, academics, and other commitments can be challenging, but finding ways to ensure that fufill all these expectations has been very fulfilling. Planning ahead and blocking time off throughout my day has ensured that I am successful in each of these roles.

• I would like to improve my ability to seek out feedback, as well as integrating that feedback into my work. I feel that improving my ability to use feedback would allow for me to improve the quality of my work, and allow for me to become a better team member. I will work to continue to improve this skill by asking for feedback from my supervisors. I will also improve this skill in the academic sphere by speaking to professors about how I can grow as a student.

This internship has allowed me to expand upon my previous understanding of neuroscience, by providing an outlet in which I can see real-world impacts of its applications. Many times while in class, I felt that the background in neuroscience I had been provided eased the transition as I began more challenging upper-level coursework, and allowed for me to excel in these spaces. While I have always felt drawn to pursuing a specialty in medicine such as neurology or neurosurgery, this internship affirmed these desire. Moreover, it amplified my desire to remain an active member of the research community well past the completion of medical school.